Bailey said the dog had gotten through a hole in a wooden fence in the backyard of his owner’s home and attacked a man

walking in the field between the softball and baseball diamonds at Wapakoneta High School on Redskin Trail.

The medium-sized dog lunged at Robert Williams, 51, 921 Canterbury Drive, and left severe lacerations and puncture marks on his left forearm, knee and right buttocks, according to the police officer’s report.

Jackson said his wife had let the dog out to go to the bathroom and a short time later yelled for him to help during the attack at 6:50 p.m.

The dog warden said there had been another incident reported involving the dog on Aug. 19, 2011, when the dog attacked someone else, but that time the dog left mainly scratches and did not puncture the skin.

Bailey said the dog’s shots were not up to date and dog tags had not been purchased for it, something he made Jackson do when he responded to the home on follow-up Tuesday morning.

Jackson also was ordered Tuesday to get the fence, from which the dog escaped, fixed that day.

“We need to check the dog in 10 days and make sure it’s not showing any signs of disease,” Bailey said.

He said it is normal practice to keep dogs quarantined at the owner’s house.

Auglaize County Health Department officials have been notified and both they and the dog warden are expected to follow-up on the case.

“In May, a new vicious dog law goes into effect in Ohio,” Bailey said.

Under the old law a dog’s second bite could require it to be turned over to the dog warden and euthanized. The only dogs labeled vicious under that law were pit bulls.

The new law would apply the vicious dog label to any type of dog fitting the criteria and add up to more costs for owners whose dogs have been labeled as such based on their behavior.

Typically, the more times a dog bites, the more severe the punishment is, Bailey explained.

“The laws are all changing,” Bailey said, noting under the new law the dog would be deemed vicious because it went off of its property and bit someone.

“There are certain things you have to do if a dog is deemed vicious, including a more expensive special vicious dog license and insurance,” Bailey said.

The dog warden planned to check into it further but said it may be a situation he looks into going back and adding under the new law once it takes effect, if possible.